When a user of an online social networking service registers to become a member of the online social networking service, the user typically provides at least some personal (e.g., biographical) information. Such personal information may include the person's full name, a picture (e.g., photograph) of the person, information about the person's current employment status (e.g., name of employer, industry of employer, current job title, and skills), information about the person's formal education (e.g., schools attended and degrees earned), and information about the person's interests generally. All of this information may be aggregated and stored in a profile (e.g., member profile). Typically, each member of the online social networking service has his or her own member profile.
As a member uses the online social networking service over time, the member may add information to his or her member profile. For example, the member may periodically update his or her profile to reflect his or her current employment status as the member leaves one employment position and takes on another. As the member unilaterally or bilaterally connects with (e.g., “follows” or “friends”) other members (e.g., users, organizations, such as companies or schools, or other entities) represented in the online social networking service, these associations (e.g., relationships) may be added to the member's profile. The member may also add skills to his or her member profile (e.g., to highlight his or her special talents and expertise).